The contract to build her was awarded to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems on 6 March 1998, and her keel was laid down on 14 January 2002, at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Incorporated. She was launched on 11 January 2003, sponsored by Michelle Punana Chung-Hoon of Honolulu, Hawaii, Chung-Hoon's niece, and commissioned on 18 September 2004.[1]
In October 2005 while operating 360 nautical miles (670 km) northeast of Kahului, Chung-Hoon responded to a distress call from the bulk freighterC-Laurel. Chung-Hoon provided emergency medical care until the ship was within range of Coast Guard aircraft.[2][3]
In September 2006 Chung-Hoon served as host ship to the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) Luhu-class destroyerQingdao during Qingdao's visit to Pearl Harbor.[4] The two ships conducted communications and mobility exercises on 10 September 2006. According to Xinhua News Agency, it was the first such exercise by USN and PLAN ships[5] and the first visit by a Chinese navy ship to a U.S. state in six years.[6]
On 8 March 2009 Chung-Hoon was escorting the surveillance vessel USNS Impeccable after the latter was involved in an incident with Chinese vessels in waters 75 miles (121 km) south of Hainan.[8]
In 2010 the ship assisted the Philippine Navy in the Sulu Sea in operations against Islamic militants. After returning to Pearl Harbor, the ship redeployed to the western Pacific beginning on 1 June 2011.[9]
On 27 January 2016 the ship deployed on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment with the USS John C. Stennis Strike Group, the so-called Great Green Fleet.[11]
On 3 June 2023, People's Liberation Army Navy warship Suzhou cut across the bow of Chung-Hoon while it was transiting the Taiwan Strait together with HMCS Montréal; the closest point of approach was 150 yards (140 m).[15]
On 6 August 2023, Chung-Hoon and three other destroyers responded to a joint Chinese-Russian patrol in international waters near Alaska. The Chinese-Russian flotilla left without incident.[16]
^"Chinese, US navy conduct telecommunications, mobility exercise in Pacific". BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific. London, UK. Xinhua News Agency. 12 September 2006. p. 1.